Week of the Young Child
Toddlers are natural artists, at least when they are sitting in their high chair with a bowl of pudding on their tray! When children have opportunities to express their creativity through simple art projects, they develop eye-hand coordination, sensory awareness, experience in making choices and experimenting with ideas... the list goes on and on. But the biggest benefit may be that creating is just so much fun!
Parents may feel that art projects take too much time and effort, but NAEYC has offers some help for keeping it manageable, here on their website.
Eliminate the pressures that make art projects difficult
You don’t need a lot of special supplies or prep time. Stock up on a few staples, like markers, tape and glue and then use what you have on hand – paper plates, cotton balls, etc.
Allow children to do the work
Let kids take the lead on choosing how they want to create, and scale the project down to the level of skill they possess. Then step back and let them do the work! Stand by to support and cheer, but not judge or take over.
Praise their efforts, not the product itself
Lead with questions, like “how do you feel about your creation?” and then really listen to their response before responding with support. Make observations about the time they spent, the number of tries they made, or their patience and creative solutions.
Remember – you’re creating happy memories!
Stay focused on supporting your child’s creativity and spending time together. The picture they paint, song they make up, or tower they build will be forgotten in time, but the bonds you build will last a lifetime!
Learn more about Week of the Young Child and the National Association for the Education of Young Children at their website, www.NAEYC.org